


Is Anything in Life Ever a Coincidence

by thewightknight



Series: Kylux prompts and ficlets [25]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Mention of alcohol, Second Chances, Ten Years Later, Writing Prompt, fake boyfriend, frat party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 22:24:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9849083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewightknight/pseuds/thewightknight
Summary: Hux didn't want to go to Poe's party, but he'd promised.  He hadn't planned staying for more than a few minutes, or on talking to anyone, but then a tall handsome stranger had asked for his help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I got bit by one of the prompts from [this post](https://thewightknight.tumblr.com/post/157502848078/more-au-ideas):
> 
>  
> 
> _“Remember that one time in college when we were at that party and you asked a random stranger to pretend to be your boyfriend/girlfriend? Yeah well that was me and we’re adults now” AU_

“There you are, thank goodness. I was beginning to get worried!”

Huge arms wrapped around Hux and he squeaked in surprise.

“Sorry, but these sorority chicks won’t leave me alone, even when I told them I had a boyfriend. Help a fella out?” the stranger murmured in Hux’s ear. Sure enough, three girls were now glaring at him from across the room, whispering to each other behind their hands. He took an instant dislike them on general principle.

“My father called. You know how he is," he ad-libbed, loud enough to be overheard. "He did ask if you’re going to visit again over break.” The thought of the senior Hux taking an interest in his social life threatened to put a damper on an already unpromising evening. He’d only come to this party because Poe Dameron had pestered him until he agreed to put in an appearance. 

The arms tightened around him for playing along and he was released, finally able to see the man he was rescuing from the rabid sweater-set trio.

 _Oh, my!_ his brain said in its inner George Takei voice. He’d already gotten the tall part by contact, but now “broad” and “built” got added to the list. And gorgeous, too. _Oh, my_ didn’t really do him justice. Yes, he could play pretend boyfriend to this strapping individual for an hour or two. Well, if he was going to do this, no use being half assed about it. He took one of the stranger’s hands in his own, trying not to think about how it engulfed his, and raised it to his lips. 

He heard the disgusted scoff from across the room and grinned into a pair of amber-flecked eyes.

“I better stick with you for a bit until the sharks disperse. Care to show me where the drinks are?”

From his gait as his impromptu date led him through the crowd, he’d already had a few. He wasn’t quite stumbling, but a few of his weavings didn’t seem to be just to avoid running into people. The alcohol was located in the kitchen, a ubiquitous keg in a bucket of ice, several gallon jugs of cheap wine and four coolers filled with various bottles and cans on ice. Settling for a Mike’s hard lemonade as the least offensive of the choices, he let himself be led back through the crowd. 

There were very few people here that he recognized, but his handwarmer seemed to be popular. He was hailed equally as “Ben” and “Kyle” by the people they passed, and he nodded to everyone but didn’t stop to talk to any of them. That was fine with Hux, and when it looked like they were headed for the glass doors leading out to the deck, he picked up the pace.

“Hope you don’t mind,” the other man said when they got outdoors. 

“Quite alright. Human sardine isn’t really my thing.” 

Taking a sip of his drink, he happened to glance back at the house, and he grimaced.

“Your admirers are persistent.” Staring out at them through the glass, the three girls were still glaring and whispering.

“Ugh.”

“We could give them something to really look at.” He couldn’t blame the alcohol, as he’d only had a few swallows from his bottle. 

“What, like this?” Ben or Kyle or whatever his name was hadn’t been drinking beer, thank goodness, and managed to give a good account of himself despite Hux’s suspicions about his sobriety. As it progressed, Hux had to admit it was one of the better kisses he’d ever had. He got a bit handsy, cupping Hux’s ass, so Hux decided to return the favor, tugging at his shirt until his fingers felt skin. When they finally came up for air, the evil trio was gone.

“Well, okay, that was good. Served its purpose, yes?” Hearing how breathless he sounded, Hux took a healthy swig from his drink.

“Yeah. Don’t really feel like going back inside, so I’m going to hang out here for a bit and then sneak out through the back yard. Thanks for the rescue.”

“It’s a bit crowded in there for my tastes as well. I promised a friend I’d put in an appearance and I’ve made good on that promise. So if you can stand my company for a bit longer, I’ll join you in the hiding and sneaking.”

They waited about twenty minutes before making a break for it, during which time Hux determined that it was Kylo, not Kyle. When Kylo stumbled and nearly fell going down the stairs, Hux demanded his keys. The arm around Kylo’s waist was probably not necessary, and maybe foolhardy, because if he really did go down he’d take Hux with him, but the contact was nice. 

Kylo gave clear directions, and after a short drive they pulled up in front of a huge old house. Many of these buildings had been chopped up into student apartments over the last decade as enrollment continued to grow. Hux lived in one himself, about a half mile from here.

“Well, then, this is it, I guess? Thanks for the rescue.” 

“It was a pleasure. Good night!”

“You wouldn’t maybe want to come in, would you?”

Hux almost said yes. If Kylo hadn’t been drinking, he wouldn’t have hesitated. Seeing how Kylo swayed where he stood, he decided the gentlemanly thing to do was walk away. 

“I’m afraid I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, so I’ll have to decline.”

“Oh, well, okay then. Good night.”

He stood on the sidewalk long enough to make sure Kylo got into his apartment and then started the walk home. He’d lied about the early morning thing, only having packing on his schedule for the next three days. Then the moving van would show up to transport his belongings on to his new place, where he’d spend the summer in a work study before beginning grad school in the fall.

Shortly after lunch his phone rang. Checking the number, he sighed.

“Yes, Poe,” he answered without bothering with a hello. “I did go to your party, but it was too crowded and I never saw you.”

“I know,” Poe chuckled. “A friend of mine has been talking my ear off all morning, about the flame haired angel that rescued him from a flock of harpies last night.”

“Is he an English major then?”

“Yep! Anyways, he’s devastated because he didn't get your name or number. Want me to do something about that?"

He thought about it, tempted again, but in the end told Poe no. In three days he’d be on the other side of the country. Better to leave things as they were. No, let Kylo fantasize about his flame haired angel, who’d be a much better fantasy than reality.

_**TEN YEARS LATER** _

Hux had been smiling and shaking hands for two hours and then some this evening. He hated these things. But it was important to maintain their image, so here Hux was at this political fundraiser for their state senator. Leia Organa was up for re-election this term and they needed her continued support for the bills that would continue to fund their research. The crowd was a mixture of old money and tree hugging hipster types, and watching the two groups mingle around each other without acknowledging the others’ existence had been Hux’s sole source of amusement so far for the evening. Since he belonged to neither group he’d been approached as a bridge and sounding board too many times to count, and his cheek muscles were beginning to ache.

Finding himself in a temporary lull, Hux decided he’d earned a break. Snagging a glass of wine from a passing server, he headed for one of the balconies that circled the ballroom. Senator Organa had picked a classic old hotel for the event, one that she was trying to get onto the register of historical buildings. After seeing it, Hux could understand why. Marble columns and art deco lighting fixtures encircled the ballroom, and three crystal chandeliers suspended above the dance floor leant a romance to the place that made Hux wish he had some excuse to come here on his own.

It took a few minutes for him to realize he wasn’t alone on the balcony, the man’s black suit and dark hair blending into the shadows. A scrape of a shoe and a slight cough caught his attention, glass frozen halfway to his mouth.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

Something about that voice caught at Hux. He’d heard it somewhere before.

“No worries. I didn’t know anyone else was out here.”

“It gets a bit much in there sometimes, doesn’t it?”

That voice was definitely familiar. When the man stepped forward, into the light from the ballroom, Hux’s heart stuttered in his chest.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

The man shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m Ben Solo.” He offered his hand, and Hux took it. That felt familiar too, his hand being swallowed in Ben’s larger one.

“You do remind me of someone I knew briefly in college. Kyle? No, Kylo. We met once at a party, so I guess that’s why this seems so familiar.”

“Wait, what?” Tugging on the hand he still held, he pulled Hux into the light as well, staring into his face.

“The guy from Poe’s party? The one that drove me home? You’re real?”

“As far as I know, yes.” Some people had called him Ben that evening, Hux now remembered.

“Wow. I was sure I’d hallucinated you. I was pretty drunk that night. Swore off alcohol ever since.”

“I’m no figment of your imagination, I promise. How did you put it? Your flame haired angel.” 

“How’d you know about that?”

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he realized his mistake. 

“Um, I asked Poe not to give you my number.”

“Oh. I guess you had your reasons.”

“They seemed like good ones at the time.”

“Do they still?”

“Hard to say. Maybe we can talk about it over dinner some time?” He was still holding Ben's hand, he realized, or was Ben holding his?

“I’d like that.”

“Ben, are you out here?”

They each took a step back, hands falling to their sides, as Senator Organa walked out onto the balcony. 

“Oh, there you are. We’re about to start the speeches. Good evening, Mr. Hux. I see you’ve met my son.”

“If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Hux?” Ben put extra emphasis on his name, as if it might disappear and be forgotten like its owner had so many years ago. “I hope we’ll be able to continue our conversation later this evening.”

“Looking forward to it, Mr. Solo.”

The senator was no fool, a smile teasing at the corner of her mouth as one of her elegant eyebrows shot up.

“I’ll get him back to you when we’re done.”

“Be right in, mom. Just give me one more minute.”

“Alright. Don’t keep our donors waiting too long.”

As soon as his mother stepped back inside, he whipped out his phone.

“Number, please, so I don’t lose you again.”

Hux rattled off his digits and Ben typed them into his phone. His cell vibrated immediately afterwards.

“Who could that be, I wonder?”

“I wonder.”

“You better get going. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

“And then we can shimmy down the fire escape and make our getaway. There’s a great burger place a couple blocks away.”

“It’s a date.”

When he checked his phone, he found that Ben had messaged him a single emoji, a smiling face with a halo.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to come say hi on tumblr!


End file.
